Swedish Culture Minister Accused Of Racist Cake-Cutting

Reporters snapped photographs of Swedish Minister of
Culture Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth cutting a cake depicting a
naked black woman, sparking allegations of racism at a Stockholm
museum on April 15.

The cake was part of a World Art Day celebration and meant to
protest female circumcision, according to the Moderna Musset
museum. The cake was created by artist Makode Aj
Linde, who also played the cake's head.

However, photos of the smiling Adelsohn Liljeroth cutting the
cake have stirred an uproar among black Swedish residents, who
accuse the government and public of ignoring the problems of
racism in the country.

The Local elaborates, citing commentary from Kitimbwa
Sabuni, a spokesperson for the National Afro-Swedish
Association:

According to Sabuni, the mere fact that the minister
participated in the event, which he argued was also marked by
"cannibalistic" overtones, betrays her "incompetence and lack of
judgement".

"Her participation, as she laughs, drinks, and eats cake,
merely adds to the insult against people who suffer from racist
taunts and against women affected by circumcision," he
said. "We have no confidence in her any
longer."

..."To participate in a racist manifestation
masquerading as art is totally over the line and can only be
interpreted as the culture minister supporting the Moderna
Museet's racist prank."

Adelsohn Liljeroth has defended her participation in the
cake-cutting, saying the artist "claims that it challenges
a romanticized and exoticized view from the west about something
that is really about violence and racism." She
added, "Art needs to be
provocative."

According to FriaTider.se, the Culture
Minister has supported plans to ban tax benefits for the only
nationalist newspaper in Sweden, and has proclaimed herself
"anti-racist."